The Bash shell has long supported extending command completion through scripts. The Bash-Completion package delivers full scripts for Linux commands and is currently available in version 1.1.

The new

bash-completion

version includes more than 140 completion patterns for programs such as Apt, Rync and XMMS, to reduce command line typing. The scripts provide keyboard shortcuts or, for example, can find hosts for the

~./ssh/known_hosts

SSH command. Bash has provided command completion since version 2.04.

Bash-Completion is licensed under GPLv2. Version 1.1 is available for download as a tarball from the project homepage. Developers also built a current Debian package in the git repository for distribution.

In the old days, shells were capable of little more than calling external programs and executing basic, internal commands. With all the bells and whistles in the latest versions of Bash, however, you hardly need the support of external tools.